Hitsugaya's Haori
by Mystoftime
Summary: When Hitsugaya first became a captain, there were a few adjustments that needed to be made. Light. No pairings.


** Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach, the shortest captain in all of the Gotei 13, or his haori, so there you have it.

**Hitsugaya's Haori**

**A Bleach Fanfic**

"Shiro-chan! Shiro-chan!"

A young shinigami ran through the hallways of the First Division barracks with her black hair tied in a bun and eyes wide with excitement. Though she looked harmless, she was actually the Fifth Division Vice Captain, which spoke for itself the power she possessed. But, at this moment she had only one thing on her mind and that was to find her white-haired friend.

It was an important day for him and Momo Hinamori wouldn't miss any of it, and she'd made it her mission to ensure he wouldn't either.

"In a matter of days you will be formally introduced to not just your division, but all the captains of the Gotei 13…" A voice reached her ears, muffled, but she began to veer in the direction it was coming from. Hinamori strained to hear her friend's as well.

The next was amiable, joking, and too deep, not his in any way. "Oi, oi. Yama-jii. Don't freak the kid out."

"Hm, I myself watched his performance against two other captains. I hardly believe such calm can be cracked so easily."

Hinamori tried to pinpoint where they were from as she tried to match names to the voices. They were quite familiar, but Seiretei was big, even if her superiors numbered few.

"I think he can answer for himself," a third injected kindly. "Don't talk to him like he's not even here! Right?"

There was a heavy sigh. "I assure you that I'm prepared."

Her heart leapt in relief that was definitely her friend's voice! Husky, ill-mannered, yet to change octaves…

She sped down the hallways, sure that he'd been found and their conversation was definitely getting clearer. With a final turn, Hinamori entered an open door, skidding to a stop in the connecting room despite the more reasonable pace she'd assumed.

Out of breath, she bent over, panting before she regained her composure. However, she wasn't given much time before the expected outburst.

"Hinamori?"

"Hah… hah," the vice-captain looked up to see the white hair and turquoise eyes of her childhood friend, and the furrowed brows that were so out of place on a child's face. "Shiro-chan!"

Her exclamation was met with a wrinkled nose and narrowed gaze that betrayed the irritation brimming underneath. Anyone else, and they would be facing wrath instead. If they had been alone, Hinamori probably would've hugged him, despite his penchant for hating gestures of affection. This time, at least, she took note of the warning in his expression.

"Oh!"

In the blink of the eye, Hinamori stood straight as possible and took in the three other shinigami in the blindingly white room where meetings were occasionally held.

"Yamamoto-soutaichou, Kyouraku-taichou, Ukitake-taichou, please excuse me barging in. I'll let you get back to your discussion right away."

Once more, she had transformed from an easily hassled girl, burdened beyond belief, to a proper vice-captain of the Gotei 13.

The white-haired boy blinked away his grudging admiration. It never failed to astound him how different she acted away from just him… or how eager she was to please her superiors.

"Hinamori…" he whispered under his breath.

She didn't turn to look at him, waiting for the other captains to order her to leave. They comprised of the pink, flowered kimono clad Kyouraku, always fond of his sake and women, the perpetually sickly Ukitake, who's kind disposition outweighed his tendency to cough up blood, almost, and, most of all, the Captain Commander Yamamoto, the oldest and the strongest shinigami alive which proved age wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

All in all, it was a group of some of the most powerful and respected men in Soul Society, and Hinamori's delight at finding her friend was no doubt diminished by the rebuke that was sure to come.

She should've known better.

Yamamoto didn't deal with petty things such as unintentional rudeness.

"Hinamori-fukutaichou of the Fifth Division, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Did you wish to deliver a message, or some other business perhaps?"

Relief poured from the girl and she smiled slightly. "Yes sir. I was told to find Sh-" Hinamori's gaze caught the white-haired boy's twitching lips. "… Hitsugaya-kun and bring him to his fitting."

A thought seemed to pass his face that looked vaguely like, _A little better…_

Kyouraku chuckled and leaned over to whisper something into Ukitake's ear. The man was still laughing as Ukitake looked affronted by his comment, but couldn't stop a small smile from appearing as he glanced at the short boy amidst them.

The Captain Commander was much less amused.

"Ouch! That hurt, Yama-jii!" Kyouraku rubbed his bare foot.

"Ah, yes," Yamamoto continued, ignoring his former students. "I suppose it's alright for you to take Hitsugaya-taichou with you. I believe we've covered everything." He raised an eyebrow at the two younger captains, who nodded slowly. "Good. There is nothing left to cover Hitsugaya, except my congratulations. I expect your captaincy to be quite successful."

Hitsugaya nodded, already beginning to walk away from the captains. "Thank you, Yamamoto-soutaichou. I'm sure I'm ready."

As he approached Hinamori, she suddenly grabbed his arm and turned him around.

"We'll be going now. Arigato, Yamamoto-soutaichou. Kyouraku-taichou. Ukitake-taichou." She bowed respectfully, before escaping, dragging a protesting Hitsugaya behind her.

Ukitake looked after the pair thoughtfully. "I wish Shiro-chan luck as well, he'll need it."

"Ah, women…" Kyouraku grinned. "You gotta love them."

0~0~0

"Ack! Hinamori! Let go!"

With a final tug, Hitsugaya ripped himself from the girl's grip. He rubbed his wrist to get the circulation going again while he looked around. They had traveled quite a bit from the First Division barracks, even without shunpo.

Beside him, the vice-captain smiled sheepishly, at the grass under their feet rather than her victim. "Sorry, Shiro-chan. But I wanted to get out of there and spend some time with you before you got too busy."

"If you hadn't noticed, I was kind of occupied," he grumbled. "And don't call me that."

He turned his head away, but Hinamori recovered quickly from the rebuttal. "Come on! Let's have some fun!"

Once again, his wrist was captured and his friend dragged off Hitsugaya.

"W-wait!"

0~0~0

The white-haired boy stood in front of the door, motionless and with indecisive eyes. Of all places Hinamori could've taken him, it was here; the entrance to the Tenth Division office. Being in the division barracks was one thing, but entering the center without express permission, usually the captain's was… nearly unthinkable.

"Hitsugaya-kun," the black-haired girl already had the door open. "Don't you want to come in?" She smiled at him welcomely.

"I…"

Her smile faded ever so slightly as she noticed Hitsugaya's unmoving figure. She knew that look on his face too well. Hinamori scolded herself inwardly and went about ushering him inside more gently. "Your face is going to get stuck that way if you don't stop frowning," she teased and took his hand in hers, looking into the office. "It's going to be yours soon."

With a final nudge, they stood in the Tenth Division captain's office.

It was close to bare, in the absence of a current occupant. A bulky wooden desk with drawers underneath an empty bookshelf, a file cabinet and a leather couch were all that stood in the room, like sentinels at guard until the very end.

Hinamori perched herself on the desk and let her gaze wander around.

"Wow! It's so big!"

"It only seems that way with nothing in it," Hitsugaya corrected. He glanced at the character for the number ten emblazoned on the double doors they'd just come through. That character was the sole thing distinguishing the outside, and possibly inside, from any other room in the division, but there was still a lot to find out about.

Stretching her arms above her head, Hinamori pouted. "Whatever, Shiro-chan-"

"That's not my-" He suddenly stopped talking and walked over to the window within view of the desk. Hinamori watched him concernedly from her seat. "Why?"

She glanced down at her feet, dangling off the desk, knowing what he meant immediately. "I thought it would be interesting for you to… you know, see where you'd be soon. Like a preview of your new life."

Pleased with her skirting around the potential landmine, Hinamori raised her head. To see Hitsugaya staring straight at her with intense turquoise eyes, a breeze from the newly opened window ruffling his spiky hair.

"You wanted to show me the difference. That it wasn't the same." The young shinigami spoke softly. "You don't want me to leave you, Hinamori."

A gasp filled the gaping silence afterwards while she gazed at Hitsugaya with shocked eyes. Had she been that obvious? Yes, yes she had. But, friends you could trust numbered few, and childhood friends, practically family… there was merely one.

When she didn't reply the younger boy took the initiative. "Tch! You're such a baka!" Hinamori's bun jerked up indignantly. A familiar scowl was on his lips as he pretended to not look at her in disgust. "I wouldn't leave you. I _couldn't_ leave you. I've known you for how long? And you're still the same defenseless, carefree, rash, foolish girl you were then."

Any other girl would have burst into tears at Hitsugaya's harsh words, or possibly slapped him, as some were prone to do. However, Hinamori bit back tears that sprung so easily to her eyes, remembering the boy's way of doing things.

"Just as you're the same stuck up, arrogant, rude, ill-tempered little boy, _Shiro-chan_," Hinamori retorted quickly and with the assumed anger. If not for the smirk that hinted the playful undertone.

His upper lip curled at the childish challenge and his cold reiatsu seeped into the room.

"Sure, Bed-Wetter… remember when-" Hitsugaya's head twisted to the door in surprise. "We shouldn't be here."

Hinamori pouted, "You're no fun, Hitsugaya-kun..." At first, she hadn't felt the presence of another reiatsu, weak as it was, but now she did. She started so she nearly fell off her perch on the desk, yet caught herself in time for Hitsugaya to drag them both underneath the piece of furniture.

There was scarcely enough room for one person of shorter stature, much less two, and one being closer to a normal height. But, somehow they managed to squirm under, fueled by the fear of getting caught that plagued all guilty parties, especially kids.

Another reiatsu joined and mingled with theirs, bowing beneath the stronger spiritual energy, right before the double doors were slowly opened. Hinamori and Hitsugaya's attuned ears picked out footsteps; light and barely detectable like most shinigami.

They observed from the sizable crack of space between the backboard of the desk and the floor. The trespassers were hidden while they could watch the feet and hem of someone's shihakusho wander about with their hearts in their throats.

"I told you we shouldn't be here," Hitsugaya whispered fiercely in his friend's ear. "You're a vice-captain and I'm a captain."

She promptly elbowed him in the side. "Only a couple minutes before someone came inside! And what does that have to do with anything?"

"It makes it ten times worse!" he hissed, giving her a glare from the unjustified attack.

The creak of the floorboards as the unnamed person wandered the room shut them up- for all of fifteen seconds.

"Besides, you're not even a captain," Hinamori pointed out.

"Hmph. Yet. And this hardly improves our situation."

"You got us into it!"

"Shush. They'll hear you, bed-wetter. Let me think."

A sudden voice caused them to jump and come close to hitting their heads on the wood above them. "Huh. I thought I heard someone talking… oh well, I can just leave this report for the third seat."

Paper rustled, clothes swooshed, and the doors closed with a muted click. Hitsugaya and Hinamori collectively let out their breath they'd been holding.

"Come on. We have to hurry before anyone else comes!" Hitsugaya urged.

His friend nodded. "Hai. Let's- ow!" Hinamori's head connected with the desk as they crawled out.

Hitsugaya sighed, glad he was short for once, and caught her other hand while she nursed her bump.

As soon as they were free, more voices could be heard outside.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, do you think it's a thief? Or maybe an intruder?"

"But I was just there!"

"We have to check or we might get demoted!"

"H-hai!"

Hinamori's focus swiftly shifted from her sore head. "Shiro-chan!"

He didn't reply, already running to open the door. Flung open, Hitsugaya waited a moment for the vice captain to pass through and followed hurriedly.

Running feet chased the "supposed" intruders, a good enough reason for the troublemakers to get as far away from the Tenth Division, and the captain's office, as possible.

The frigid bite in the air when several shinigami investigated the room later left them baffled. Though, they would soon find out it was merely a weak tidbit before their new captain moved in to reign on his throne of ice.

0~0~0

Sometime and somewhere amid the excitement and adrenaline from narrowly escaping discovery and definite punishment, Hitsugaya had drawn ahead of Hinamori, and, in turn, she had lost sight of him.

"Ah… hah…" she came to a stop, looking around to see no one around in the corridors. "I can't believe this… Hitsugaya-kun… I'm still in charge of you right now!"

Setting her mouth and mind in a firm line, Hinamori plunged forward again.

0~0~0

Hitsugaya walked down the halls of the barracks casually and without worry. He had stopped running once his initial fear of being caught dispersed and his mind began to think rationally again. If he was fleeing it would merely solidify his guilt. Tenth Division could only be so big, and though this was his first time being inside, he was sure he could find the exit. But, if he _had_ to worry about something it would be that Hinamori had been separated from him.

_Baka,_ he gritted his teeth. _She always does this. The least she could do is kept up considering she dragged me into this mess._

Reluctant to leave her behind, even if Hinamori was at fault, Hitsugaya was careful to keep an eye out for her spirit energy and her smile.

"Oi! What are you doing here?"

The boy spun around, hand already moving to the sword slung across his back. His reaction to confrontation with an enemy was halted when he saw the shinigami striding up to him. Hitsugaya relaxed ever so slightly, enough so he wouldn't spear the guy through.

"Well?" the brown-haired, plain-looking man raised his eyebrow.

Though he didn't answer, going through his options, inside he cursed, _damn! Why didn't I notice him coming?_

As Hitsugaya opened his mouth to reply with the required lie, the shinigami's irritated and bored expression abruptly changed. To one decidedly more frightening than before; the look that adults got when they saw a particularly attractive child.

A hand came down to tousle his white hair playfully and he had to stop himself from tearing it off. "Aw! Aren't you…"

"Don't-" Hitsugaya growled what he was thinking. _Don't call me-_

"…Cute!"

He bent down and smiled at the boy. A vein pulsed in Hitsugaya's forehead. This man obviously didn't know whom he was speaking to or that this "kid" was in fact his superior in intellect, strength and rank.

Before this could go any further Hitsugaya tried to speak, "Remove your hand. Now."

This wasn't the best time to brusquely order about people, but many people in his situation would do the same.

"Well, aren't you a rude, little brat!" the shinigami went from smiling to frowning in an instant. Hitsugaya shrugged out from underneath his outstretched arm, pushing him away for good measure, when the man grabbed the front of his shihakusho and lifted him into the air. "You're a little young to be playing shinigami. Why don't you return that outfit and plaything to whoever you stole it from? Then, maybe I won't tell your parents," he snarled, even quicker to anger than the ticking bomb he was holding.

Until now, Hitsugaya had been inordinately tolerant with this unnamed and probably unseated shinigami. Normally he would snap at the first remark comparing him with a child or bringing his height to attention, but he _was_ uninvited here and he didn't like hurting weak, unsuspecting people like him. Those were important, but at the forefront of his mind up to recently was his new position in the Gotei 13.

He really didn't want to tarnish his record as a captain so soon. It definitely was a poor reflection upon him. This time, however, he'd make an exception. Someone needed to be taught a lesson in respect.

Hitsugaya twisted in the man's grip as though he was an ordinary kid, eliciting a disapproving smirk and wagging finger. Then, the shinigami was staring at empty space and handing. When the boy twisted he tested his opponent's strength, and when he escaped… the guy didn't know what happened.

Using his agile build and smaller stature, Hitsugaya had flipped himself over the man's shoulder and head. He turned in midair to land on his feet like a cat behind him.

Dazed, the brown-haired man's head moved as his body followed slowly to face Hitsugaya.

In one fluid motion, Hitsugaya's arm flicked up, grasped his katana's hilt and unsheathed it so the length of metal shone bare and primal. "_This_ is hardly a plaything."

The man's eyes were wide and he trembled pathetically. "W-what… are you?"

"I think the correct question would be 'who are you?'" Hitsugaya murmured.

He struck.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro, new captain of the Tenth Division."

0~0~0

By the time Hinamori caught up to her friend, slightly out of breath, but energetic nevertheless, Hitsugaya was just finishing up his… problem.

"There you are! It wouldn't have killed you to wait for me, would-?" her gaze went from Hitsugaya to glance at the ground.

Ice coated the ground, slippery and treacherous at the epicenter where the white-haired boy stood. It's natural cold oozed out into the air, causing her to shiver. Yet, her discomfort was nothing compared to the man dressed in shinigami robes, frozen in a giant block of ice, with his arm still reaching futilely at the zanpakutou by his side.

Hinamori tried to get to know most of the names and faces of those she worked with, even on occasion, so she recognized the unfortunate victim as an Eto Shirakawa, a recruit in the Tenth Division. In an instant her surprise transformed to a scolding persona.

"Shiro-chan…" she had her hands on her hips, glaring down at him which of course caused him to scowl. He hated being looked down upon.

Without a sound, he sheathed his zanpakutou and crossed his arms. Hitsugaya gazed back in obvious disinterest. "What?"

Her eyes softened, though she remained frowning. "You didn't, Shiro-chan! That man is from-"

"The Tenth Division. I know. Which gives me the right to punish him as I see fit," he finished. Hitsugaya raised a thin, white brow as if to say, _I'm not an idiot unlike some people._

"But… but…" Hinamori threw her hands in the air in utter frustration. "Did you have to use Hyourinmaru on him? There's no way someone's not going to see this."

She referred familiarly to her friend's ability that created eternally unmelting ice. Yet, even if it would thaw out like normal, their chances of escaping notice were slim.

Hitsugaya uncrossed his arms. "I'll unfreeze him. Look, he's already warming up."

They both glanced at Eto Shirakawa. Indeed, the sides of his icy prison were beginning to turn into water and the bite in the air was gradually abating, a testament to Hitsugaya's temper getting into check.

Hinamori shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "This is why I still call you Shiro-chan."

"What?" he turned with wide, annoyed eyes.

She ignored him, and started walking down the hallway towards the door out of the barracks that was surely there. Hitsugaya groaned and hurried after her.

"So… why did you freeze Eto-san?" Hinamori asked conversationally and with a good deal of curiosity. It had to be bad if he reacted despite the precariousness of his new position.

There were a few beats of silence before Hitsugaya muttered, "He thought I was some kid playing dress up."

A laugh started in Hinamori's chest, but his voice was so quiet…

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I'm not repeating it!"

At that, she did giggle at her friend's plight. "If he gets frostbite, though going here was my idea, it's your fault."

"I know that, Bed-wetter!" Hitsugaya snapped as they finally left their adventure in Tenth Division behind.

0~0~0

"Oh! Hinamori-fukutaichou! I've been expecting you and… Hitsugaya-taichou! How are you, sir?"

He waved her off and strode into the room in front of Hinamori. "I'm fine."

His curt tone made the woman flinch and she bowed.

"My apologies. Come in, fukutaichou."

The black-haired vice captain grinned. "Thanks. Sorry for making you wait." She leaned in to whisper, "And don't worry about him, he's just in a bad mood."

"Ah…" their host didn't know quite what to say.

Hitsugaya twitched at Hinamori's statement, before glaring back at her. Stuck between the fuming captain and the innocently smiling vice captain and not knowing the chemistry of their dubious friendship, the shinigami woman chose the easiest choice.

"Um… let's get started then."

0~0~0

The place where Hitsugaya and Hinamori were now wasn't located in any of the barracks or living spaces in Seiretei; rather it was on the outskirts in between the shops and nobility. It was basically the equivalent of a tailor's shop for shinigami. However, it's main function was to fit captains of the Gotei 13 with their respective haoris.

Though the building with its single spacious room containing various sewing supplies, meager furniture and a changing screen was open to the general public, nobility turned their noses up at it, preferring their private tailors and, despite the idea that once you were admitted as a shinigami you had the money to get clothes mended, only those at Fifth Seat or above had the necessary extra change.

It was one of those accepted issues with the distribution and size of paychecks in the Soul Society.

So here they were, with Hinamori sitting on a chair, chin in her hand, waiting as the woman in charge, Ran, began to take her friend's measurements for _his_ haori. Boring as it was watching someone get measured, the vice captain was excited for him whereas Hitsugaya showed no emotion other than mild impatience. Hinamori, with all her support of him becoming a shinigami aside, had never thought he would go so far as this.

If only he would wear his feelings on his sleeve, the expected ones of honor and anticipation, as he became the youngest captain in the history of the Gotei 13, then Hinamori would be completely satisfied. But, this was enough, and she would get more out of this event in Hitsugaya's life than she could have ever imagined.

Ran made note of Hitsugaya's height, width of waist and chest under her breath while she went around with her measuring tape. Eventually she withdrew, telling him he could lower his arms that had been raised so she could measure his chest and scribbled them on a note pad before bustling off into a side room that was barely noticeable with a hasty, "Be right back, taichou."

Her initial confusion and meekness had depleted some, as far as Hinamori could tell, as she launched into what was obviously her element. As soon as she left, her childhood friend let out a relieved breath. Hinamori didn't bother pointing out to him that his fitting was a good ways off from being over.

The woman appeared again, this time carrying a white garment slung over her arm. She always kept a hand on it, insuring it wouldn't fall and the vice captain leaned forward in her seat, eager to see a captain clothed in his haori for the first time, something most people never had the opportunity to. The main reason Hinamori was there was that someone had been required to fetch Hitsugaya in the whirlwind of all the preparations and her rank and connection to him as almost family allowed her presence during the actual fitting.

Carefully, Ran unfolded the length of cloth and proceeded to go around Hitsugaya as he put his arms through the sleeveless haori and it draped over his body. She took a few steps back to see it better and immediately made a funny little sound.

Hinamori's bright gaze widened and she took a sharp intake of breath… right before she burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. If she had been standing, she would have surely fallen to the ground and her chair knocked back against the wall from the force of her mirth.

By Ran's taken aback expression, made stiff, but with a slight smile anyways, Hinamori knew she wasn't the only one who found it hilarious. As in the sight of Hitsugaya, a victim of his own success, standing mortified as the white and black haori fell in excess folds around him. It had not been made with his small build and short height in mind, as it was at least two times too big for him, possibly three.

Hitsugaya's fists trembled and a vein pulsed in his temple. Neither Hinamori nor Ran could take much attention to these warning signs, the former in tears and the later too absorbed with not laughing while on duty. Finally, they noticed the freezing atmosphere in the room and their chattering teeth, only too late.

"SHUT UP!"

They shut up, though Ran had wisely stayed silent. Hinamori's smile was still in place to irritate her friend, if not completely intentional.

"Sorry, Hitsugaya-taichou. I'm afraid we don't have anything small enough in your size," Ran bowed her head apologetically while the boy seethed. "I thought it would work, but I'll fix it right away."

Impossibly fast, she removed the overlarge haori from his frame and escaped his wrath before a trip to Division 4 was in order. Unfortunately, no one had predicted that a kid would become captain, so an adult's clothing would be rendered useless.

Somehow, Hinamori survived, beaming at Hitsugaya when a haori with the number for ten, that fit and complimented him, was eventually made. He in turn kept the scathing comments to a minimum.

"Hinamori, if you ever speak of this to anyone again…" he let the threat go unfinished, partly anyone would know what he meant and also because she enveloped him in a big hug.

"Sure, Hitsugaya-kun, you look so cute in that haori!"

His blazing turquoise glare was ineffective once again. Though, he had to admit, it did look pretty good when it was the right size.

When, Hitsugaya became a captain several changes had to be made in the Gotei 13.

First in importance, heaters were installed throughout Tenth Division in the case that a certain icy captain went on a rampage and a thawing out. If anyone else expected his presence, they would be wise to keep the heating on high as well.

Next, a reminder was sent out to all divisions, that normal children were not allowed in the Gotei 13, much less, ones carrying zanpakutou on their backs.

And lastly, it became known that a one size fits all for captains' haoris was not necessarily beneficial… to anyone.

In other news, Hinamori was very cautious not to let it slip that she had taken pictures, because if Shiro- chan, ahem, Hitsugaya ever found it he would definitely kill her.

0~0~0

**Author's Note:** What is this? I'm alive? No way! Sorry for my absentia everyone, but my muse demanded a break. Not from writing, but from writing fan fiction, as my book needed some editing done. Anyways, I always thought that when Hitsugaya got his haori there would be… issues involved, and here's my somewhat rushed take on it. On the POV, its mostly Hinamori, but indistinct as we hear from Hitsugaya as well. I realize there's a lot of Hinamori hate out there, yet I portrayed her as realistically (and neutrally) as I could.

Thanks for reading and please review! See you soon!


End file.
